Election filings closed at noon Friday for the October municipal elections in New Bern, with seven candidates running for New Bern mayor and 16 running for New Bern Board of Aldermen seats.

Aldermen Sabrina Bengel, Dana Outlaw and Denny Bucher all filed to run for the mayoral seat that will be left vacant by Mayor Lee Bettis, who did not file for re-election. In turn, their board seats are now up for grabs.

The other candidates running for mayor are Edwin Vargas, an civilian employee at Cherry Point air station; Dale Simmons Sr., a facility maintenance/coordinator specialist with the Fleet Readiness Center East; Barbara Lee, a former New Bern alderman; and Tharesa Lee, a retired city employee.